Nothing is Easy
by Halen-Rains
Summary: In a time when everything come together, nothing is what it seems. Just as things in Nerima are starting to calm down unseen forces have plans to correct a grave mistake that will change everyones lives forever. ::Chapter 5 Up::
1. Preface

Ranma 1/2 is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Any other rights I left out also apply.  
  
A video trailer of this story can be found at   
http://www.goecities.com/thewingedelf/NiEtrailerzipped.zip  
  
Nothing is Easy  
By Halen Rains  
Preface  
  
  
* I am so tired of this.*   
  
Ranma peeled himself off the ground and looked after Akane as she stormed  
away from him on her way to school. He flipped to his feet and dusted himself off,  
looking around to see if anyone had noticed. *Noone...* He let out a sigh and began  
jogging down the street in the direction Akane had gone.   
  
"My job never gets any easier." Atop a light pole directly across the street from  
where the fight between Ranma and Akane had occurred a man who looked to be in his  
mis twenties appeared, sitting with his legs crossed and his hands jammed into his  
pockets. He was dressed in a dark blue trench coat over a white shirt and vest with golden  
edging and wore well cut white dress pants. His eyes shined a brilliant silver that matched a   
single stud earring in his left ear. Long silver hair hung down to his ankles and swayed gently in   
the wind. He shook his head the allowed himself to fall from the light pole.   
  
A moment before he touched the sidewalk a brilliant flash of light flowed from  
his eyes and he was gone. In the flash only a large pair of pure white wings flashed in the  
glass of a small store that sat across the street.  
  
  
Akane sat down at her desk and waited for class to begin. She had calmed down  
since leaving Ranma twitching on the sidewalk. She didn't like doing that to him, but  
sometimes he could make her so angry. *Sometimes? More like all the time.* She shook her  
head and flipped open her notebook.  
  
"Tendo Akane." Akane's teacher's voice pulled her attention back to school and  
Akane looked up with a questioning look on her face. "Is Saotome going to be here  
today, or do I need to mark him down as absent?"   
  
Akane shrugged then looked back to her notebook. She drew small pictures of  
herself malleting Ranma and Kuno, and some of P-chan malleting Ranma and Kuno. She  
didn't even notice when the teacher started class until the classroom door opened and  
Ranma stepped in.  
  
"Nice of you to join us Saotome." The teacher said adjusting her glasses. "Now if  
you would please." She was cut off when Ranma held up his hand and lifted two large buckets  
of water from beside the door and stepped outside.  
  
Akane turned to a new page in her notebook and began taking notes as the teacher  
spoke.  
  
  
In the hallway Ranma leaned against the wall and shifted his grip on the buckets.   
  
"Ranma no Baka...Ranma you hentai...Ranma Ranma Ranma." Ranma became  
more and more annoyed as mumbled to himself. "It's always the bad, never Ranma,  
thanks for saving me from all those kidnappers. No that would be to much. Never  
Ranma, thanks for saving me at Jusendo. Oh hell no!" He had become so shook up as he  
spoke that water began to slosh from the buckets. "She's always gotta jump onto me for  
every little thing then hit me with that damn mallet. Why can't she just let me explain  
and tell her I..." Ranma froze suddenly, a very confused look on his face. Where did  
all that come from? He thought for a second then began to smile. "It's always Akane you  
kawiikune. Akane you tomboy..." He sighed and settled himself back against the wall. "I  
don't really give her a reason to listen...do I?" His smile slipped away into a depressed  
look and he slumped down. "Do I?"   
  
*Not really.* The man from the street leaned against the wall opposite Ranma. His  
hands jammed into his pockets and his feet crossed. He looked from Ranma to the  
ceiling then back to Ranma. He scratched his head and began to laugh.* One day...*  
  
Ranma looked up from the floor and out of the window across the hall from him.  
It was a bright sunny morning outside. Suddenly his thoughts turned to that time when  
he'd first started going here that Akane had hit him in the face with a softball. *Why do  
they call em softballs anyway? Sure as hell ain't soft.*  
  
The man across the hallway from Ranma face faulted and stood staring for a  
second then burst into laughter at Ranma's thought. He had to brush a long strand of  
silver hair from his face when he finished laughing. *This kid never ceases to amaze me.*  
Suddenly he felt something nearby looked around suspiciously. *Found me has they?* He  
vanished from the hallway.  
  
Ranma remained there trying to figure out the origin of softballs until his teacher  
opened the door and motioned for him to reenter. He sat the buckets down and walked to  
his seat.   
  
He noticed that Akane looked up at him as he walked past. Her expression had  
looked upset over something and Ranma's stomach twisted. *I hate it when she's like that.*  
Ranma hung his head then let out another sigh.   
  
  
  
On the roof of the highschool a tall beautiful redhead stood surrounded by singing  
birds. She was dressed in a tight black dress that came midway down her thigh. Her  
impossibly red hair hung lower than the dress and tossed gently in the wind.   
  
"How long has it been Lailos?"   
  
The redhead didn't look behind her to the source of the voice. A playful smile  
crept onto her face and she ran a hand through her hair.  
  
"One millennia seven centuries nine decades six years five months two days."  
She turned and looked him from head to toe. "Far to long, Rhye."  
  
Rhye smiled and nodded.   
  
"That it has. I must admit that I had hoped for a little more time, but this is still a  
pleasant surprise." Rhye spoke in a serious tone. "I must admit, I had expected Max Ren  
to send Erock to try and collect me. Since when is a love goddess sent to find a wayward  
angel?"   
  
Lailos looked hurt at his words then nodded, her appearance becoming more  
business like.   
  
"I came to warn you, the council is growing quite displeased with their general's  
extended leave." She turned her attention back to the small sparrow that sat on her index  
finger. "Mostly though I wanted to see you. Things have become such a dreadful  
bore...I miss you." She smiled at him then frowned when he seemed not to notice.   
  
Rhye walked to stand at the roof's edge and looked out into the courtyard. He  
crossed his arms behind his back and let out a laugh.  
  
"They have no need of a general. There hasn't been a war in heaven since the  
time of chaos. What I do is no interest of theirs, tell them to go back to their games and  
leave me be. I have earned my freedom."   
  
"Rhye!" Lailos's voice held a tone of outraged terror and she rushed to his side  
and grabbed onto him. "Please. Come back with me. Don't remember all the fun we had  
in the beginning?"   
  
Rhye didn't shift his look to her, but seemed to grow more distant.   
  
"I remember and I am thankful for the time we spent together. Without it I  
might have... I might have lost myself." Rhye turned to face her and took her shoulders  
in his hands. "But I can never go back to that. I have a new purpose now."   
  
Lailos looked at her feet and shook her head. After a few seconds she looked back  
up at him and smiled.   
  
"I will tell them that you will not be returning." Lailos let out a breath and  
looked at the ground again. "Rhye... you know how much I care for you. I'm so sorry for  
what happened. Please forgive me."   
  
Rhye pulled her into his arms and held her against himself. She pressed his cheek  
against her forehead.   
  
"I could never hate you. You knew that then." He whispered softly to her and ran  
a hand through her hair.   
  
Lailos pulled away from him slightly and smiled up at him, tears in the corners of  
her eyes. She leaned closer to him, closing her eyes as she leaned in to kiss him.   
  
Rhye could feel her breath on his face and leaned closer to her. When their faces  
were almost touching he shifted and pulled her against him and placed his face on her  
shoulder. He could feel her tense at the sudden change. After a second he pulled away  
from her and held her chin gently with his hand and looked into her sad eyes.   
  
"But you must always remain my beautiful little goddess..." He released her and  
turned away. His eyes clenched closed and his breathing heavy he struggled to continue.  
"And it will never be allowed." His voice held it's most serious tone despite him.  
  
Lailos looked at him wide eyed then turned and ran a few steps the stopped.  
  
"I don't care." Her voice was shaking and weak, but she forced herself to turn  
back and take one last look at him. She turned and before her foot touched the ground she  
vanished.  
  
Rhye kept his back to her and watched as cars drove along the street outside the  
school. After a few moments, he managed to recover control of himself and turned to  
look at her. He looked at his hands sadly then up to the sky above.  
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
  
Ranma sat in a tree eating the lunch Kasumi had prepared for him. He ate slowly  
for once, lost in thought.   
  
Akane, Look I'm sorry about this morning."No that's to..." I want to say that I'm  
sorry for what I said this morning. He rambled off different idea's for how to apologize  
to Akane as he ate, not noticing where Rhye sat in tree just above him shaking his head in  
annoyance.  
  
Akane walked to the tree where Ranma sat and looked up at him. She noticed his  
distant look and leaned against the tree. She looked out at where all the students went on  
with there normal lives and felt a slight tug in her chest. She had thought that Ranma had  
gotten over his rudeness after Jusendo and the failed wedding. He had been much better  
at keeping his foot out of his mouth until this morning. He had been saying something,  
she hadn't been paying attention, and suddenly she slipped and he caught her. For a  
second she could have sworn he was going to kiss her, she had seen a frightened look in  
his eyes. Then out of nowhere he managed to consume his entire leg.   
  
Akane let out a sigh and shook her head. She had been hoping so much that they  
were past this. She wasn't only angry at Ranma, but mad at herself for how she'd  
responded and smashed him into the sidewalk.  
  
Rhye listened to the two's thoughts as he nibbled slowly at a strangely yellow  
apple. He still looked quite annoyed at them, but was more stirred up over his own  
encounter. He found it harder and harder to keep his mind focused on the two and  
actually didn't notice when Ranma dropped down from the tree.  
  
Without a sound Ranma landed on the opposite side of the tree and pressed his  
back against it. He had failed to notice Akane somehow, still lost in thought over how to  
break the silence between them. He didn't want to start back down this road with her  
again. This morning had been a slip up, he'd felt that same old twist in his stomach when  
he caught her and looked into her eyes. Something had been pulling there faces together,  
but his fear suddenly gripped him and he back peddled spitting out the first thing that  
came to mind.  
  
"Why can't I just say what I want? Everything...everything always comes out  
wrong." Ranma banded the back of his head against the tree then closed his eyes. He  
didn't notice Akane's head snap up when he spoke and turn to listen to him. "I'm just not  
ready."  
  
Up in the tree above them Rhye looked down and almost fell out of tree at what  
he found occurring right beneath his nose. He allowed himself to tumble down the tree to  
the lowest branches and hung upside down.   
  
Ranma opened his eyes and looked up into the tree directly where Rhye hung and  
let out a long sigh.   
  
"What can I do? She's the most important person in my life, and all I can do is  
piss her off or make her cry." He let his thoughts run over the last year and a half he'd  
lived with the Tendo's and laughed. "I wasn't trained for this." His voice had grown very  
distant, he ran his hands through his hair then let them cover his face.   
  
Akane pressed herself against the tree and listened as Ranma battled with himself.  
He can't be talking about...?  
  
He over to where a boy and girl sat on a set of stairs looking at each other  
lovingly. It was a sight that would have made him gag not to long ago, but now it made  
him feel a hollow spot in his chest.   
  
"I didn't grow up like she did." He reached into the tree above and plucked a  
leaf from the branch where Rhye hung. He began playing with it, folding it into a small  
square. "I don't know how to just up and tell Akane I..." Ranma caught on the words and  
angrily tossed the leaf away. "I can't even say that shit to myself."   
  
Rhye held out his hands and started strangling Ranma then leaned back and let  
himself hang freely, arms straight down. *So damn close.*  
  
Akane stepped back from the tree, a slightly hurt look on her face. She turned to  
walk away and slammed into Hiroshi who stood watching girls with Daisuke.   
  
"Sup Akane?" Hiroshi said twisting to look at her. His voice carried to where  
Ranma leaned against the tree and caused him to turn and look at them. Akane forced her  
way past them and raced off into the crowd of students.  
  
She wasn't listening to me? Oh shit! Ranma ran after her but got stopped by his  
two friends.  
  
"Man, Ranma, what's the deal with you fianc‚ today?" Daisuke said not looking  
away from the girls in the crowd.   
  
Ranma watched Akane vanish into the crowd then slumped down shacking his  
head. Damn it!  
  
Rhye hung from the branch watching Ranma give up the chase and cursed under  
his breath.  
  
*Well, I better go collect her.* Rhye dropped from the tree and landed lightly on his  
feet. After taking a second to adjust his jacket he started walking after Akane. 


	2. Chapter 1- The game

Nothing is Easy  
Part 1 The game  
By Halen Rains  
  
  
School seemed to drag on that day. Ranma had returned to class after lunch and  
been a little worried when he didn=t see Akane again. By the time gym rolled around,  
people had begun to whisper about her. Ranma simply did his best to ignore them. It  
wasn't hard for Ranma to completely engross himself in sports.   
  
Ranma watched as the small white ball disappeared into Japan then mockingly  
tossed the bat onto the ground and began to trot around the bases. When he rounded third  
the girls softball field came into view and he began looking into the crowd of girls  
cheering him on for her face. By the time he crossed home and was surrounded in the  
crowd of teammates patting him on the back mocking the other team he'd checked every  
face. Not one was the girl he sought. Almost as if a rubber band had snapped, Ranma  
turned his attention to his cheering teammates and began clapping hands. After a few  
minutes, everyone had returned to their places and the game picked back up. Ranma  
walked triumphantly to the bench and sat down to watch the game.  
  
"Damn Ranma." Hiroshi strolled over to Ranma, tossing his batting helmet and  
bat away before sitting down and slapping Ranma on the back. "I don't see how you do  
it."   
  
Ranma shook his head and laughed. Hiroshi had been the first one to bat after his  
home run, three pitches three strikes he's out.   
  
"Just gotta know when to swing." Ranma spoke lightheartedly and grinned from  
ear to ear.   
  
"Yep." Hiroshi put his hands behind his head and leaned back against the fence.  
"So how's the swinging going with Akane?" He chuckled as his implied question went  
right over the mighty Ranma's head and sweat dropped. "You know...swing."   
  
Ranma stared at Hiroshi blankly for a second before the real question made it's  
way to his head. He drew his hand back as if to hit Hiroshi then simply pushed him from  
the bench playfully.   
  
"Like I'd really do anything with that tomboy." He turned his attention back to the  
game then jumped to his feet. "Go back!" Ranma slammed back down on the bench.  
"Damn it." Ranma watched as the boy he'd been yelling at got caught between second  
and third and was finally tagged out.   
  
"Yeah Ranma." Hiroshi pulled himself back onto the bench and dusted himself off.  
"Only you would hold that against her."   
  
"Huh?" Ranma turned his attention from the game to listen to Hiroshi. Everyone  
knew Hiroshi was a no count hentai, but occasionally he would let a nugget of truth slip  
past.   
  
"It's like..." Hiroshi roughed his hair as if trying to shake loose the words from his  
wild mane. "Not everyone sees a tomboy as a bad thing." Hiroshi stopped and waited  
until Ranma motioned for him to continue. "You know she's always been like that. The  
tough girl who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty." Hiroshi let his hands fall to his knees  
and leened forward inspecting the ground. "Akane is a tomboy, sure, I'll admit it. But I  
like that about her. She's not made of glass like some of these other girls." He struggled to  
think of what to say exactly for a second. "I means take a look." Hiroshi pointed towards  
the girls field not looking up from the ground.  
  
Ranma looked where Hiroshi was pointing and watched as a girl carefully swung  
the bat, hitting the ball and sending it foul. He smiled suddenly as the image of Akane  
nailing him in the face flashed back to him again. *Akane wouldn't have messed up a  
pitch like that.*   
  
"You seen what I means." Hiroshi glanced up to see the look of realization on  
Ranma's face then turned his attention to where Daisuke was getting ready to strike out  
their last batter.   
  
"Hai." Ranma looked back to Hiroshi and nodded. He didn't have to wait long for  
Hiroshi to continue again, only until he head the sound of metal connecting with the ball.  
  
"Not everyone likes a tomboy, but not everyone dislikes one either." Hiroshi  
laughed under his breath then continued. "Before you came here, she was top dog. Queen  
of the ant hill. Every guy wanted her. Then you show up, engaged to her I might add."   
Hiroshi held up a hand to stop Ranma from interfering. "Kick the shit outta every  
other guy who had a thing for her, THEN precede to acting like she's the worst thing that  
ever happened to you." He sat back up and hit Ranma weakly on the shoulder. "You got  
the one thing anyone else around here woulda killed for and all you can do is call her  
kawiikune. Did you know a lot of guys thought something was wrong with her after that.  
Otherwise why would you turn her down." Hiroshi smiled dumbly and winked. "But ol'  
Hiro knows better. I still see the girl they all fought over, and I see how she looks after  
you insult her. Trust me, I look harder than anyone and I know what I see." His tone had  
returned to it's normal goofy self and he was smiling like always.  
  
"Hey!" Ranma bonked Hiroshi on the head and started to laugh.  
  
"Just don't be such an ass man. She may be a tomBOY, but she's still a girl."  
Hiroshi smiled slyly and stood up. "Trust me, if I were in your shoes, I'd sure as hell not  
turn her down." He lifted his glove from the bench and started out onto the field. "You  
coming?"   
  
Ranma snapped his head up to see that the teams were changing places and  
grabbed his glove then headed out to the pitchers mound.  
  
  
  
Back on the Bench next to where they'd been seated a boy looking to be around  
sixteen suddenly slipped into view. He wore bright red ankle tied pants with ornate  
golden Lion head decorations, a white sleeveless shirt, and dark black work boots that  
came up past the ends of his pants. Running down from his right shoulder down to his  
left side waist the up again around the back was a thick red leather shoulder belt with a  
large silver clasp just under his heart. On his back was a long red fighting rod with the  
ends glowing a gentle blue green. His lazy sky blue eyes follow the game with little  
interest from under thick blond bangs.   
  
"Hmm." He stretched lazily and leaned back against the fence, a soft smile on his  
chiseled yet gentle face. He watched as Ranma easily struck out the first two boys who  
stepped up to bat then allowed the next three base hits before striking out the pitcher  
from the other team. As Ranma's team began to swamp places again a large pair of white  
wings appeared on his back and he vanished.   
  
Hiroshi returned to his place on the bench and waited for his turn at bat to come  
up. He watched Ranma warming up and yawned. Before the first pitch had been thrown,  
his eyes had slipped over to the girls field where he watched as the girls on the winning  
team jumped around hugging each other and mocking to other team.  
  
*Ahhh...tomboys are great* He looked back to the field just in time not to see a stray  
softball from the girls field smashed into his face and send him sprawling against the  
fence. As the blackness slid over his eyes, he grinned. *Yeah...just wonderful* 


	3. Chapter 2- Small Talk and Remote Wrestli...

Nothing is Easy  
Part 2 - Small Talk and Remote Wrestling   
By Halen Rains  
  
  
Akane sat silently in a corner both watching a the people of downtown Nerima rushed  
about. On the table before her sat a half eaten banana split that she played with occasionally taking  
a small bite. The cool air of the ice cream parlor felt good after her jog away from Furikan, and  
the smooth smell of the 54 flavors didn't hurt any.   
  
*"I can't even say that shit to myself."* Akane's nose wrinkled at that particular part of  
Ranma's little rant she'd managed to over hear. She didn't know why it'd hurt her so badly, after  
all she didn't care for Ranma that way. At least that's what she kept telling herself. *Then why  
does it hurt so bad?* Akane quickly bound and gagged the little voice in her head that tried to tell  
her she cared more than she wanted.   
  
"Mind if I join ya?" Akane looked up to see the boy from behind the counter smiling down  
at her holding two large milk shakes. Akane returned his smile and motioned for him to sit down  
across from her.  
  
"Thanks." He sat down quickly and looked at the two shakes. "I noticed you didn't care  
for the banana split so I brought a milk shake instead." He pulled off the paper hat he wore and  
stuffed it into his pocket then looked back up at her. "Which do you want, strawberry of  
chocolate?" He noticed Akane's hesitant look and grinned. "On the house."   
  
Akane thought for a second then took the chocolate and took a quick drink. She watched  
as he did the same with the strawberry.  
  
"Akane Tendo." She extended her hand across the table to him.   
  
"Gomen nasai. Keichi Hasamura." He took her hand and shook it then returned to  
drinking his milk shake. "You look a little young to be outta school at this time of day. Skipping?"   
  
Akane blushed slightly and looked into her shake.   
  
"Hai." She out the window again and frowned.   
  
"Now that doesn't suit you." Keichi turned to look as someone started to enter the store  
then decided otherwise. "God, it's been so slow lately." He looked at her and shrugged. "You'd  
think with summer on its way that I'd be bogged down." He leaned back in the seat and took  
another drink from his shake. "But hey I'm still getting paid."  
  
Akane laughed and examined him while he looked away. He looked to be around twenty  
or so and decent looking, not as good looking as Ranma of course, somewhere on the level with  
Ryoga. His rough blond hair stood at odd angles from the hat.   
  
"So?" Keichi sat his milkshake back on the table and looked at her closely. After a second  
of staring at her he noticed her blush darken and laughed. "Boy trouble?"   
  
"Hmm..." Akane's face slipped to annoyed. "How did you guess?"   
  
"Well. When you work in a ice cream parlor, you hear a lot of high school kids talking. I  
kinda picked up on what look matches what story over time. You've got that classic "I just got  
dumped" look to you." Keichi grinned at her and laughed again.  
  
"My... fiancé, said he doesn't know how he feels about me."   
  
Keichi face faulted and shook his head.  
  
"Incredible, I'm 19 and I can't even get my girlfriend to... and high school students are  
already engaged." He picked up his shake and gulped down around half of it then clutched his  
head in pain.  
  
Akane giggled and waved her hands.  
  
"I didn't wanna get engaged to him. Our parents forced us into it." Akane took a drink of  
her shake then looked down at the puddle that had been her banana split.  
  
"That sucks." Keichi straightened out again when his headache passed. "But you do  
wanna be engaged now don't ya?"   
  
Rhye stat down in the booth connected the theirs and sat back to listen. He closed his eyes  
and yawned loudly.  
  
"No!" Akane swung her hand exaggeratedly and accidently knocked Keichi's shake over  
into his lap. "Oh, I'm so sorry."   
  
Keichi waved her off then untied and removed his apron which had caught most of the  
drink.   
  
"Don't worry about it, happens all the time." He sat the apron down on the seat next to  
him and looked into his cup sadly. He forgot what he'd been talking about and leaned back in the  
booth.  
  
  
  
"Still playing guardian angel, Rhye?" A handsome young man appeared in the booth  
across from Rhye. His long brown hair hung loosely, pulled back behind his ears to keep it out of  
his face, and light golden eyes watched the older angel closely for any signs of aggression.   
  
"Castor. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Rhye frowned when he noticed the  
clothing the archangel wore.   
  
Castor half smiled at Rhye then popped his knuckles.  
  
"Do I need an excuse to visit an old friend?"   
  
"Lately... yes." Rhye reached into his coat and pulled out a small fruit and began to take  
small bites from it.  
  
"Someone has decided they wanna fuck with the system. Whatever they did has caused  
some major ripples, noone knows how it got this bad without anyone noticing." A small sake cup  
appeared in Castors hand and he began to sip from it slowly. "Not to mention the pretty boy has  
gone a-wall." Castor sneered and took another sip of his sake.  
  
"Erock." Rhye laughed as images of Castor and Erock yelling at each other flashed into  
his eyes. "What does that fool think he's doing?"   
  
"Noone knows, that's why I'm here. They wanted you... but Lailos relayed your  
message." Castor finished his sake and made the cup vanish. "You and her ever make up?"   
  
Rhye nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. Castor noticed and raised an eyebrow.   
  
"You know the council doesn't approve of stuff like that." Castor suddenly began to  
picture Lailos. She was by far the most beautiful of the goddesses, her natural beauty enhanced by  
the fiery nature she'd learned from Rhye. Not many beings could admit they didn't fantasize about  
her, only her father and Rhye.  
  
"You know me better than that." Rhye didn't sound amused and his silver eyes began to  
glow to add emphasis to the statement. "She will always be my student as long as the council sits  
in power, nothing more."  
  
Castor nodded and smiled sympathetically. *Poor Rhye. Always honor first.* He rose  
from the booth and took a few steps then stopped and turned back to Rhye.   
  
"Something is going to happen soon, Rhye. Since noone knows the cause of the damage,  
it's going to be very hard to fix." Castor faded out as he spoke and vanished the moment his last  
word was formed.   
  
"Happy hunting Castor." Rhye growled lowly then turned his attention back to Akane  
and Keichi.  
  
  
  
"...and then his other fiancé's crashed the wedding tossing bombs around." Akane took a  
long deep breath after finishing her story. Telling it someone really did help her notice a few  
things she'd missed while it was actually happening.   
  
Keichi shook himself and scratched his head.   
  
"All that stuff really happened?" Keichi shrugged when Akane nodded. "And you think he  
doesn't at least like you?" Keichi rolled his eyes and laid his head down on his hands. "Somehow I  
don't think he'd go through all that hell for someone unless they meant something to him. Damn,  
I would have trouble traveling to America to help out my girl, and Ranma fights hydra and giant  
birds. Thank Kami she has more realistic standards than you do."   
  
What Keichi had been telling her made sense, at least in a way. Sure Ranma did all that  
stuff for his other fiances, but she never noticed him having trouble talking to them. She looked  
up at the clock on the wall and jumped.   
  
"I gotta go." She grabbed her purse and started for the door, pushing it open with her  
back waving to Keichi. "Thanks."  
  
"No prob." Keichi waved back without lifting his head from the table then closed his eyes.   
  
Rhye stood and walked to the doors to watch Akane running down the street for home  
and grinned. *She didn't even need my help.* He stepped out into the street and began walking  
with the crowd. *Oh yeah.* He looked back at the ice cream parlor and snapped his fingers.  
*Have fun.* Rhye turned away as a huge crowd suddenly began to filter into the store.  
  
  
  
Ranma sat in the living room of the Tendo home flipping through tv stations at a slow  
pace. To his left Nabiki sat, arms crossed and looking very agitated. She watched as Ranma  
surfed through every station twice before her control broke.  
  
"Pick a channel for crying out loud!" Nabiki was suddenly in Ranma's face yelling much  
like Akane. When Ranma tilted his head to look around her and flipped channels two more times  
Nabiki's hands couldn't help themselves. They lanced out taking hold of his neck and began  
strangling him.   
  
Ranma laughed through Nabiki's unusual display of emotion and speed up his channel  
surfing until the tv screen became one big blur. In a sudden movement, Nabiki made a grab at the  
remote and caused Ranma to topple over backwards. Neither seemed to notice as Nabiki fell flat  
on top of Ranma and made another grab at the remote.  
  
The door opened a moment later and Akane slipped inside, a content smile on her lips. She  
started to her up the stairs and stopped short when she heard strange sounds coming from the  
living room.  
  
"Come on Ranma. Stop playing around and give it to me already."  
  
"You can do better than that. You gotta work harder if I'm gonna give it up."  
  
Akane stepped into the living room and looked over the end of the couch. Her smile  
suddenly disappeared at what she saw.   
  
In the middle of the floor, Ranma and Nabiki were in a not. Their legs were tied together,  
causing the rest of their bodies to follow suit. Nabiki was sweating terrible and her arms reached  
desperately for something behind Ranma's back.  
  
She didn't notice that they were each still fully clothed, only the pose mattered to her.  
Akane's vision flooded red and her hands curled into fists.   
  
"I can't believe this. Right in the middle of the floor!" Akane yelled at the top of her lungs  
and began stepping over the couch.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma and Nabiki both turned to look at her then back to each other. Ranma was  
the first to make the connection and looked down at how they were sitting, a thin trickle of blood  
ran from his nose when he caught a glance down Nabiki shirt. Nabiki's eyes widened as she  
suddenly realized what they looked like, and the two jumped away from each other. Nabiki landed  
a clumsily on the ground a few inches from where she had been while Ranma flipped across the  
room and landed gracefully. The tv remote spun end over end in the air where they had been  
before falling to the floor with a clatter.   
  
"Calm down, Akane. That was an accident." Ranma waved his hands before his face then  
noticed his fiances color and the very large mallet she held in a death grip. *Oh shit.*   
  
Nabiki just sat on the floor looking confused. She didn't know what had come over her to  
make her act like that. It wasn't like her to horse play, much less end up in a precarious position  
like that.  
  
"Oh really?" Akane leapt at Ranma, smashing her mallet down on the ground where he  
had been when she launched the attack. She looked around for him then stopped not seeing him  
anywhere in the room. "Come back here and take it like a man." Akane spun around again and her  
gaze feel on her older sister who sat on the floor utterly confused. "You...you..." Akane let her  
mallet fall to the floor and her anger with it. She stood there, her head hung, shaking from anger.  
  
"Akane, please listen to me." Ranma's voice caused her to look up again and scan the  
room. When she didn't see him anywhere her anger started to rise again.   
  
Ranma looked down at Akane from where he clung desperately to the ceiling fan. He  
noticed her color starting to redden again and let himself fall to the ground, landing with all the  
grace of a cat. Akane slipped backwards and ended up sitting on the couch when Ranma landed  
directly before her. He held out his hands and took a few steps back.   
  
"Can I explain please?" Ranma watched his fiancé carefully and dropped his hands when  
she jumped from the couch and raced up to her room *Was she...?*  
  
Rhye sat on a blade of the ceiling fan looking down at the two. He had become the size of  
a small bird, the perfect toy for Asuza. On the fan next to him a rather large dust bunny watched  
down at the conversation, stirred up from Ranma's mad groping onto the fan for dear life.   
  
"You want a job as a guardian angel?" Rhye grabbed the ball of dust and gave it a slight  
tug. When it exploded covering him in a grey particles and hair he shrugged. "Yeah, I think you  
got the right idea"  
  
Ranma started slowly for the stairs after her. 


	4. Chapter 3- What may come

Nothing is Easy  
Part 3- What may come  
By Halen Rains  
  
  
It had been a typical day for Tendo Akane. She had woken up feeling fine, gone to school,  
fought through a crowd of boys, come home, and gone to sleep. It was the next day that changed  
her life. As always she'd gone for her morning jog, how was she supposed to know that at that  
same time a girl and her father were making their way to her home. How should she have known  
that by the end of that day, she'd be engaged.   
  
"Hi, I'm Ho-o-o-ome!" Akane called as she entered the gates of her house and rushed to  
her room to change. After getting dressed in her lucky yellow gi, she headed out to the dojo for a  
little early morning practice. She stacked three cinder blocks then took a step back.   
  
"HYAAHH!" With a loud cry she let loose her anger and brought her palm down onto the  
bricks. "AHHH!" She looked up happily and corrected her hair. "That was nice."  
  
"There you go again." Nabiki's voice came from behind her, causing Akane's eyes to pop  
open in waiting of her oncoming insult. "No wonder all the boys think you're so weird."   
  
"So why should I care?" Akane looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened. Where  
her sister should have been stood a strange boy. He was, despite her very solid hatred of boys,  
very attractive.   
  
The boy was taller than her and had Raven black hair tied into a pigtail. He strolled slowly  
up to her, a smug look on his face and stopped a few feet away.   
  
"Geez, Akane. You can't get anything right can you?" He pushed her aside and pointed to  
where Akane's breaking bricks stood five high now, not a single one broken.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane suddenly noticed her appearance had changed. Her hair was short now,  
and her clothes had changed to her school uniform.   
  
"Watch." Ranma turned from her and effortlessly smashed his hands through the five  
cinder blocks then stood dusting himself off. "I knew violent girl was weak, but that just sad."  
Suddenly Shampoo stood before Akane. The gorgeous Amazon glared at Akane and drew out a  
bonbori. "Husband needs strong wife, not a flat chested tomboy like you." As she spoke her voice  
shifted to Ranma's, mocking her.  
  
"Stop it!" Akane turned away from Shampoo and ran into the house. She ran towards the  
stairs heading for her room and stopped short when sounds from the living room stopped her  
short.  
  
"Come on Ranma. Stop playing around and give it to me already."  
  
"You can do better than that. You gotta work harder if I'm gonna give it up."  
  
Akane tried to turn away, but found herself unable to stop walking towards the source of  
the voices. When she looked over the couch her she gasped at what she found.  
  
On the floor lay Ranma and Nabiki. They were wrapped in a bed sheet that hide their  
naked bodies up to their waists.   
  
"Oh hey sis." Nabiki noticed Akane and waved. "How was your work out?" She smiled  
and her face disappeared for a second as she passionately kissed Ranma then looked back to her  
sister.   
  
Akane suddenly found she couldn't move, or even breath for that matter. All she could do  
was stand there and stare.  
  
"Oh come on Akane." Ranma turned to look at her and shrugged. "It's not like you give a  
shit anyway."   
  
"Th...that's not true." Akane whispered as she looked into Ranma's eyes.  
  
"Hmm....could have fouled me." He sounded uninterested and turned back to Nabiki.  
"Where were we anyway?"   
  
"Stop...please."  
  
Ranma turned back to look at her, a questioning expression on his face.  
  
"Why. What reason do I have to be faithful to you? All you ever do is yell at me or hit  
me." Ranma stood, letting the bed sheet fall away from him. To Akane's surprise he wasn't  
completely naked, he wore his usual black pants. "See, you don't even trust me." He walked over  
to Akane and looked into her face.   
  
"Give me one good reason I should even waste my time on a kawiikune tomboy like you?"  
Ranma smiled at her and let his hand rest on her waist.  
  
Akane looked down to where his hand touched her then back to his face. She started to  
say something then stopped short.  
  
"See, you can't say that shit either." Ranma pulled his hand away from her and took a step  
back.   
  
"No! Wait!" Akane reached out for him and suddenly found herself stepping out into  
nothing.   
  
  
"Later hun." Ukyou stepped up beside Ranma and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
She started to kiss him, but suddenly tossed her away. She vanished when she hit the ground.   
  
"Akane!" Ranma reached out for and caught her left arm solidly. She looked up at him  
from the dark cliff she hung over and found the same questioning look on his face. "Why?" Akane  
looked away from him to the endless darkness beneath her and let out a gasp when she noticed  
hundreds of feral eyes staring up hungrily at her.   
  
"Why?" Ranma's voice seemed so distant to her now, her grip began to slip and she let  
out another cry.   
  
"Because I..." Akane caught on her sentence and looked up at him hurt. As she looked she  
found something else, his old strength and confidence staring her in the face. "I..."  
  
Ranma's grip tightened around her arm and a smile slid across his face. She hadn't said it,  
but he still pulled her from the darkness.  
  
  
  
Akane sat up and rubbed her eyes. It had gotten dark since she'd come to her room and  
fallen asleep. She climbed off her bed and hurriedly changed clothes out of her school uniform. *I  
never gave him a chance.* She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. *Poor Ranma.*  
  
Against the wall opposite her door, Ranma sat on the floor asleep. His knees pulled  
against his chest and his head resting on them.   
  
"Come on." She whispered to him as she lifted him from the floor and carried him to his  
room. The door was cracked, so she pushed it open with her hip and placed him down on the  
futon then pulled the sheet over him. Ranma rolled onto his side facing her. She smiled down at  
him then tip toed from the room.  
  
"Akane?" Ranma opened his eyes and watched as she froze and turned to look at him. He  
sat up and put his hands on his knees. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"What?" Akane took a few steps in his direction and sat down on the floor.  
  
"Did you overhear me at school?" He looked away from her and rubbed his neck  
nervously.  
  
"A little." She frowned slightly at the memory and watched him shudder. "Look, Ranma,  
it's not important."   
  
Ranma didn't look at her, but shook his head. *Not important?*   
  
"Why?" Ranma looked at her again. He didn't notice the strange look in Akane's eyes at  
the question.   
  
Akane didn't know how to answer. Some how she'd managed to walk right into that pit  
from her dream. The wrong answer could put an even bigger gap between them, but the right  
answer... *Like I really want that.* Akane mentally slapped herself at the thought and let her eyes  
fall to the floor. *Get over yourself, girl. This is the perfect chance.* Hesitantly she looked up at  
him and studied his face. Everything from her dream was there. Even the well hidden fear that  
even he probably didn't realize was there. As she opened her mouth to talk she felt someone  
behind her and turned expecting both their fathers to be sitting there waiting impatiently, but  
instead a tiny ball of black hair leapt up at her.   
  
"P-chan!" Akane hugged the little piglet tightly then held it up to look at. "Where have  
you been?" She kissed him on the nose then turned her attention back to Ranma. He wasn't there.   
  
"Ranma?" Akane studied the empty room carefully, letting her eyes rest on the open  
window which had been closed moments before. Suddenly her heart sank at the silence in the  
room, she'd messed it up. Usually she blamed everything on him, but she realized this time had  
been her fault. A lot of times had been her fault when she thought about it. She turned and left the  
room silently, pulling the door slowly closed behind her and returned to her room. 


	5. Chapter 4- Enter Erock

Nothing is Easy  
Part 4 - Enter Erock  
By Halen Rains  
  
  
*I hate that damn pig!* Ranma slammed his fist into a practice dummy causing it to  
explode and fill the dojo with straw.   
  
"Damn it!" Ranma growled in agitation and tossed the decimated dummy into the corner.  
"I'm acting like Akane for crying out loud." Ranma forced himself to the floor and slowed his  
breathing. He didn't know why seeing Akane turn away from him for Ryoga had caused a sudden  
surge of anger, but he wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing it in him. He focused on finding  
his center and slowly the heat and tension drained away leaving only a soothing coolness within  
him.   
  
*Now rise.* Ranma slowly stood and began a slow kata in the obstacle course he'd  
converted the dojo into. His movements began to increase in speed every time his hand connected  
with a dummy or target until he had become almost a blur of motion flipping through the air and  
striking out calmly and precisely. *THIS is right, THIS is beautiful.* He closed his eyes and  
focused on using his other senses to guide him, increasing in speed even more.  
  
"You have a very strange idea of beauty." Rhye's voice passed unnoticed to Ranma and  
Rhye watched as his young charge continued the cold dance. Rhye sat on the head of one of the  
dummies perched like a bird watching its prey, a small smirk on his face.   
  
As he moved around the room, Ranma noticed the temperature dropping as his cold chi  
filled the room around him. It had been a long time since he'd been able to reach this level of  
calm. With one last jab Ranma settled in a spot directly in the center of the dojo and opened his  
eyes.   
  
Every single dummy had been expertly dissected and every target marked exactly with the  
intended strike. A smile crept onto his face and he exhaled, enjoying the perfection of his work.  
As the chill began to ebb, so did his expression. He looked around the room and slumped when he  
found noone. Noone had been there to witness the beauty, not a single person was there to  
appreciate all his hard work.   
  
Rhye looked sympathetically at Ranma and dropped to the floor. Ranma didn't understand  
yet. He still believed that the art would complete him, would be all he needed to be happy. Rhye  
thought briefly of someone else he'd known like that...long ago, and another wave of pity flooded  
into him causing his shining silver eyes to dim.   
  
Reluctantly he began to clean up the mess he'd made, returning the various tools to the  
storeroom and piling the dummies that were beyond repair in the corner to be taken out the next  
morning. After the dojo was clean he slid open the door and stepped out into the night.   
  
When the change overtook him, Ranma wrapped her arms around herself for warmth  
against the rain. She didn't care about the rain now, she entered the house and removed her wet  
shoes before going into the kitchen to warm water.   
  
Back in his male form Ranma felt drained. It had been a long day, from the very beginning  
nothing had gone right. And now suddenly even practice had started to feel hollow and empty. In  
the old days, doing something as difficult as he'd just pulled off would have made him all smiles  
for a week, now it didn't last but moments . Not compared to the warm comfort he got from her  
sometimes. Even if he refused to admit it, she could make him feel better than the art ever could.   
  
*Maybe I should talk with her, say I'm sorry for running out on her.* Ranma started to  
head for her door then stopped as images of Ryoga flooded his vision. *Fuck it!* Ranma spun  
away and slid open the door to his room and entered. *She'd rather be with that damn pig then  
me anyway.* Ranma flung himself down onto the futon beside his father. *What do I care if she  
sleeps with Ryoga?* Ranma rolled onto his side, putting his back to Genma and the window.  
  
*Because you do.* Rhye leaned against the wall, his legs crossed and his hands jammed  
deep into the pockets of his coat.   
  
Ranma curled into a ball as a sudden sick feeling overtook him. Ranma breathed a rigid  
breath and pressed his face into his knees.   
  
*Do I?* Ranma uncurled and stretched out on the floor staring at the ceiling. After  
inspecting the ceiling for around an hour, Ranma hopped to his feet and crept silently out onto the  
roof.   
  
"Saotome..."  
  
Ranma spun to find a strange young man perched at the edge of the roof. Suddenly an  
uneasy feeling flooded into him and Ranma took a step back and brought his hands up.  
  
"Who are you?"   
  
The young man didn't look up from the ground, but Ranma could make out a small smile  
as it spread across the man's face.  
  
"Noone of importance, but you may call me Erock." His voice dripped with honey, and at  
last he brought lazy sky blue eyes to look at Ranma.   
  
"Why are you on the Tendo's roof this late at night?" Ranma noticed the fighting rod on  
Erock's back and took another step back.  
  
"Hahaha.... are you scared of me?" Erock's lazy look took on a predatory quality for only  
a second, but it vanished as he ran a hand through his dirty blond hair.   
  
"Me?.. Scared of someone like you. Ha! You don't know me that well do you?" Ranma  
took a few steps toward Erock then stopped short when he noticed the young man's gaze didn't  
rest on him, but rather at Akane's window.  
  
Erock shook his head and stood his full height.  
  
"Of course not." Erock turned his whole head to look at Akane's window and grinned  
widely then back to Ranma. "But you are scared of something else... aren't you?"   
  
"If you touch her I'll kill you!" Ranma dropped into a fighting stance and prepared to  
fight.  
  
*Erock...*  
  
"Huh!?! What's he doing here?" Erock looked around wildly, a confused look suddenly on  
his face. "I'll speak with you further." Erock bowed his head slightly to Ranma and didn't raise his  
head again. "Until then..." In a smooth motion Erock dropped from the roof and vanished the  
moment he had left Ranma's sight.  
  
"Hey! You come back here!" Ranma ran to edge of the roof and looked around. *Damn  
he's fast.* Ranma looked over the edge of the roof where Erock had jumped off then sat down  
heavily. His heart was racing, the moment he'd first seen Erock's eyes looking into Akane's  
window his pulse had jumped.   
  
*Erock. What is that fool doing?* Rhye appeared at Ranma's window and lowered  
himself to one knee. His silver eyes were glowing faintly as he looked out into Nerima where  
Erock had vanished.   
  
Ranma slowly crept across the roof and looked into Akane's window. He was relieved  
when he found her asleep at her desk, books and paper strewn all around her. P-chan sat in her lap  
in similar condition.   
  
*Why do I worry about her so much?* Ranma slid the window open and crawled into the  
room. *If she wakes up while I'm in here...* Ranma crept across the room to her bed and pulled  
back the sheets then lifted her carefully from the chair.  
  
"Guess it's my turn now." Ranma whispered into her hair as he placed her into her bed  
and pulled the sheets up. He turned his eyes down to where he'd left Ryoga asleep at the desk and  
frowned. *What the?* Ranma tried to pull his arm away and found it stuck under Akane's body.  
He wrapped his loose arm around her and carefully lifted her to free his hand.   
  
"Huh?" Ranma suddenly noticed that he'd pressed her against himself to lift her and that  
there faces were only centimeters apart.   
  
*Built like a brick my ass* Ranma looked at her face and gently eased her back onto the  
bed. He brushed the hair from Akane's eyes then walked back to P-chan. *Come on.* Ranma  
tossed the sleeping pig onto the bed with Akane then turned to shut off the light when he noticed  
Akane's drawings from that morning.   
  
"Why you little..." Ranma sat down in the chair and looked at the pictures. *I thought I  
was the only one of us who didn't pay attention in class.* Ranma turned in the chair to look at  
Akane and suddenly sleep struck him. *I can't fall asleep here.* He tried to stand but only got as  
far as his chin hitting his chest   
  
"Can't risk leaving her alone." Rhye looked down at Ranma then over at Akane. He pulled  
the string on the lamp and the room turned black. "Good night you two." Rhye walked over to  
the window and pressed his back against it.   
  
  
  
As the early morning light pierced the curtain in Akane's room she had begun to stir. She  
stretched and rubbed her eyes before sitting up in her bed.  
  
*When did I get in bed?* She looked over to her desk and found Ranma asleep in the  
chair. *Why that...* She climbed out of bed and prepared to toss him out the window.  
  
"If you...touch Akane" Ranma mumbled under his breath as he slept and his breathing  
wasn't exactly what Akane would call relaxed. "I'll..kill you." He suddenly tossed himself back in  
the chair so that he was facing the ceiling. "Ahhhh!"   
  
Akane fell back in surprise from Ranma's sudden scream and landed on the floor looking  
up at her fiancé. She watched as he bolted straight in the chair and his eyes flew open, his  
breathing heavy.   
  
Ranma looked at Akane's bed and found it empty. Immediately the worst idea's raced into  
his head about last night and he jumped out of the chair.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma took a quick step and lodged his foot under his fallen fiancé then went  
tumbling down on top of her.   
  
"Watch out!" Akane put her hands up to brace for Ranma's weight then opened her eyes  
when it didn't land. "Huh?" She found Ranma hovering inches above her, his hands keeping his  
weight from her.  
  
"S..Sorry." Ranma just stared down at her wide eyed. Akane let her hands fall to the floor  
and looked at him.   
  
"Can you please move?" Akane glanced down at how the two of them were possitioned  
and blushed.  
  
"Ehh?" Ranma slowly followed her gaze and traced the path of their bodies then suddenly  
grew very red. He quickly rolled to her left and sat up crossed legged on to floor and looked at  
her. "Sorry about that, you had me worried." Ranma started to laugh and rubbed the back of his  
head as he spoke.   
  
"Worried about what?" She sat up and put her back to him. "It's not like I need some  
hentai like you to watch out for me in my own house."   
  
Ranma's smile faded instantly and he hung his head.  
  
"That's all you think of me, huh?" *So why do I bother?* Ranma started to stand to leave  
but found Akane holding his wrist to the floor and glaring at him.   
  
"No, no! I'm not going to start out my day like this. Let's go ahead and say everything  
now so it won't be another day like yesterday." She let go of Ranma's wrist and crossed her arms  
waiting for him to say something.  
  
Ranma sat back down and crossed his legs again. He watched her for a second then  
scratched his head in annoyance.   
  
"So you gonna start or what?"  
  
"Why did you sleep in here last night anyway?" Akane still hadn't turned to look at him and  
let out a heavy breath after she spoke.  
  
"Well, because I..." Ranma slid across the floor so that he sat in front of her and smiled.  
"Because something happened yesterday that had me worried about you. Plus after moving you  
from the desk to the bed I was really tired." Ranma started to laught, but found Akane's fist in his  
mouth and fell over onto his side. "I deserved that." Ranma spoke under his breath then propped  
himself up on an elbow to look at her.  
  
"Ranma, look... If this is about when I ran out of school yesterday. Please don't worry, I  
was just upset about that morning that's all."   
  
He waved his hands and smiled again.  
  
"It's not about that. Something else happened. I'm not sure it was just a dream or what,  
but I just didn't want to risk leaving you alone." He reached out to her and took her hand in his  
without thinking about it and gently squesed it.  
  
Akane looked down at their hand in surprise and then back to his smiling face.  
  
"Well, what if our parents had came in here this morning and found you or what if Nabiki  
had..."   
  
"I didn't really think about that." Ranma hung his head and let go of her hand.  
  
"You should have. If they'd found us, I bet we'd already be halfway married by now."   
  
Ranma didn't look up at her but sat silently allowing her to ramble on. Images of their last  
wedding attempt flooded his head and he frowned.  
  
"Look Akane." Ranma moved so that he sat closer to her and took her by the shoulders.  
"I don't care if they found me in here. I won't let pop or anyone else force you into something  
you don't wanna do. Especially if it's something like getting married."   
  
"Ranma...thanks." Akane finally returned his smile and looked into his eyes. Immediately  
she found that some old confidence there. It had become something she was used to, something  
that always comforted her and gave her confidence.   
  
After a long silent minute, Ranma let go of her and left via the window. Akane quickly got  
dressed in her sweets and left for her morning jog. After the two had left , only a soundly sleeping  
P-chan remained in the room with Rhye gently patting his head.  
  
"What are you doing, Erock?" Rhye removed his hand from the sleeping pig and  
immediately P-chan began to wake up. "What are you doing?" 


	6. Chapter 5- The Price

Nothing is Easy  
Part 5 - The Price  
By Halen Rains  
  
  
Lailos sat at a café table sipping tea and eating a muffin. Every now and then the young  
waiter would come and ask her if she needed anything else and she would say "No thanks" and  
flirt harmlessly. She inhaled the morning air and waited.   
  
*What can be so interesting about these kids that he'd...* Lailos took another drink of her  
tea and sat the empty cup down a little to quickly. She had become more and more agitated since  
leaving him the previous morning. Agitated at him for turning her away again, but more agitated  
that he was still the same old Rhye who'd been her instructor. She'd been expecting him to have  
changed at least enough that he would no longer see her as the little goddess who'd been his  
pupil, but as the full fledged goddess first class she'd become since then.  
  
"But if he changed he wouldn't be Rhye now would he?" Lailos looked up from her empty  
cup to see Erock sitting across from her, his normal garb as an archangel replaced by human  
clothing.   
  
"What do you want?" Lailos sneered at him and sat back in her chair. She had never liked  
the pretty boy angel who served her father. He was to much like his master, a wild card who  
noone understood. Especially his uncanny ability to read even the minds of gods and other angels.  
  
"Hahaha." Erock ran a hand through his hair then leaned heavily on the table. "Why does  
everyone I meet lately give me a look like that?" Erock grinned at Lailos then shrugged. "Well  
actually that's not why I'm here now."   
  
"Maybe it's because you've proved to many times that you can't be trusted." Lailos turned  
and waved at the waiter to get her a refill on her tea then looked back to Erock.  
  
"We all make mistakes Lai..." Erock looked down at the table and let out a sigh. "I'm just  
trying to find a way to make up for mine."   
  
"Now you're starting to sound like someone else I know." Lailos watched as Erock  
looked up at her with a smirk on his face.  
  
"Thanks. So anyway, what do you know about Rhye's newest charge?"Erock leaned back  
in his chair and put his hands behind his head.  
  
"Nothing. Why?"   
  
"You remember that little problem that was found in the destiny system?" Erock waited  
for her to nod before he inhaled to continue. "Turns out that it's a lot bigger than anyone knew. It  
had been hidden for who knows how long. If something isn't done soon, the whole damn thing is  
gonna crash."   
  
"I bet daddy's worried about that isn't he." Lailos laid her chin down in her palm and  
propped herself up waiting for him to continue. "Let me guess, Rhye's little group has something  
to do with it?" Her tone had slid into the amused and sarcastic.  
  
"From what I've been able to find out, there is a very strong chance of it." Erock read the  
amusement in her voice and thoughts and a slight smile crept onto his face.  
  
"So they sent you out to fix the error or something?"   
  
"Not exactly." Erock looked up at the ceiling and let out a laugh under his breath. "They  
don't know that cause yet." Erock stood from his seat and took one last look at her. "I have to  
figure out what happened before they do. You know how much people matter to the council."  
  
Lailos shivered when she thought of how the council looked at mortals. Pawns, nothing  
more. Their only purpose was to supply the council with the power to rule by living. They never  
perceived mortals as being more than a conquered race.   
  
Erock bowed slightly then turned and left the café as silently as he'd entered.   
  
Lailos reached into her purse and pulled out a small palm computer and quickly opened a  
display of the damage Erock had been talking about. Her eyes widened and she almost lost her  
grip on the small computer.  
  
*What could have happened to cause so much damage?*   
  
  
  
Akane jogged through the gates of the Tendo dojo, and immediately sounds of Ranma and  
Genma's morning sparring flooded her ears.  
  
"Doesn't he ever get tired of Ranma beating him?" Akane walked inside and slipped off  
her shoes then headed for the dinning room for breakfast.  
  
"Oh, back already Akane?" Kasumi said from the kitchen as the youngest Tendo moved to  
stand the hallway and watch the fight outside. "I'll have breakfast ready in a minute, why don't  
you go wash up. It should be ready by the time your through."   
  
"Ok. Thanks Kasumi." Akane took one last glance into the yard when a loud splash  
followed by sounds of a angry panda filled the room. She headed quickly for her room and picked  
out her clothes for the day then headed for the bathroom.  
  
  
  
"You know, it's been a while since anything really happened." Ranma sat at the table  
eating quickly and keeping a constant watch on Genma. "Not that I'm complaining, I like not  
having to run halfway across the world."   
  
"Boy, you're getting soft." Genma tried his best to look serious as he spoke down to his  
son. "A true martial artist takes every chance to better himself."   
  
"Yeah pops." Ranma quickly snapped his plate up from the table just in time to save it  
from his father's chopsticks. "So you ain't a martial artist then are ya, cause you sure as hell never  
better yourself." Ranma finished the food on his plate and tossed it towards his father hitting his  
old man in the face.  
  
"Ranma, you must remember that you're father and I are no longer in our prime. That's  
why we have you and Akane, to carry on for us. Why, in our day we..." Ranma drifted away as  
Soun began to ramble on and on about his youth.   
  
"Daddy please." Nabiki broke into the conversation and cut her father off short. "We all  
know you and Saotome were just thieves under Happosia when you were young."   
  
"I'm outta here. This is to much family stuff for me." Ranma hopped to his feet and  
started for the door. "You comin' Akane?" Ranma looked over his shoulder and shrugged when  
she just looked after his dumbfounded.   
  
"What is his problem today?" Akane waited until everyone at the table had calmed down  
then got up and headed out for school. She found Ranma waiting for her on the fence beside the  
canal.  
  
"So you finally got a move on huh?" Ranma climbed to his feet and began walking a few  
feet behind Akane.   
  
"Ranma."   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why did you walk out on everyone this morning?" Akane waved to Doctor Tofu as they  
passed his shop.  
  
"Oh, No reason. I just didn't feel like sitting around listening to the same old stuff again."  
Ranma slipped down from the fence and continued to follow her. "I wish pop would cut it out  
though, he acts like I'm responsible for everything that happens around here." *You all do.*   
  
"So basically you're saying that you want everything to move on and let you live your life  
then huh?"   
  
"Well..." Ranma put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. "I kinda just wish  
that they'd get off my back you know. It's like, I've been here over a year now, and they still  
won't leave me alone about the engagement thing. I mean hell...you know one of the main reasons  
I throw such a fit over this thing is because they forced us into it."  
  
Akane stopped and turned around to look at him, her eyes locking immediately on his.  
  
"So you're saying that if they hadn't forced you to be my fiancé you might have actually  
wanted to?"   
  
"Hey, hold on a second. I never said anything like that." Ranma waved his hands in front  
of his face in a warding motion then stopped when he noticed her eyes fall to the ground.   
  
"Oh, ok. Well we'd better hurry up then or we're gonna be late." She started to turn away  
from him, but Ranma reached out and caught her by the shoulders and kept her facing him.  
  
"Look Akane. You ain't never heard a word I've said." Ranma let go of her and made her  
look him in the face. "I always say you're kawiikune and stuff, more outta habit than anything you  
know. Heck I've told you I think you're cute plenty of times." Ranma smiled at her and let his  
hand fall from her chin. "It's kinda like...at first I didn't wanna get to know you, but once I did  
I...You know I'm no good at this stuff Akane. I grew up training to fight, and stuff like this is  
hard for me to do. What I wanna say is that at first I didn't wanna be engaged to you at all. But  
now I think about it, it really ain't that bad... you know." Ranma felt his heart lift again when her  
frown melted into a smile and she laughed a little. "Come on, we're gonna be late."   
  
"Ok." Akane turned and dashed after Ranma as he headed for the school, a small smile on  
her face.  
  
  
  
"What a haul! What a haul!" Happosai came flying over the wall of Furinkan High  
followed closely by a group of angry girls who exited through the gate.  
  
"Get back here." "Pervert!" "We're gonna kill you!"   
  
Ranma came flying over the wall a second later and turned to follow the bouncing panty  
thief.   
  
"Get back here you old perv." Ranma took a shortcut between two buildings and cut half  
the distance between himself and Happosai.   
  
"Come on boy. Why can't you ever let me have my fun." Happosai tossed a bomb over his  
shoulder without looking back and made a long jump across the street.  
  
"Hey!" Ranma turned his jump into a backward spin and punted the bomb back towards  
Happosai. The small black bomb connected with the old master the moment before it exploded  
and sent him tumbling down to the alleyway between two buildings, his pack tore to shreds on the  
way down, leaving him under a massive pile of panties.  
  
Ranma leapt down into the alleyway and walked triumphantly towards the pile. When he  
was arm length away, he began to hear a low groan.   
  
"Don't tell me you're actually hurt under there." Ranma knelt down and began digging to  
the bottom of the pile and found Happi crouched over, and a dark red aura beginning to ooze it's  
way from him. "Aw get over it, so you lost for once." Ranma grabbed the shrunken master by the  
shirt and lifted him so they stared into each others faces.  
  
"Why you...Ranma!" Happosai began lashing out at Ranma the best he could, but his short  
arms wouldn't reach and Ranma looked at him amused.   
  
"Will you please put the old man down." A voice drifted down the alleyway causing both  
Ranma and Happosai to turn and look. Just a few feet from them stood a man who looked to be  
Japanese, he stood a few inches taller than Ranma and a little broader in the shoulders. His long  
black hair hung in a ponytail that swayed loosely in the alley gusts. He wore a long black trench  
coat over what looked to be a black suit of some kind.  
  
"That's right boy!" Happosai took the opportunity to hit Ranma over the head with his  
pipe and gain his freedom. "Respect your elders." Happi quickly began gathering up his collection  
of panties and bras from that days raid.  
  
"Hey! You don't know a thing about what's going on here. This old geezer stole all these  
and I gotta bring em back." Ranma made another grab for Happosai but missed by a mile.  
  
"That doesn't matter." The man's voice was strangely monotone and calm. "You should  
show more respect for the elderly." He looked at his foot where a bra hung from his shoe and  
easily kicked it towards Happi.  
  
"See Ranma...this is how I should be treated." Happi lifted his tattered bag and tossed it  
over his shoulder.  
  
"Ranma? As in Saotome?" The man smiled grimly and shifted his gaze back to Ranma.  
  
"Yeah. What's it to ya?" Ranma snatched the pack from Happosai and held it out of the  
old man's reach.  
  
"I find it convenient to find you here. I actually came to Japan to find you. My name is  
Wein." Wein took a few steps in Ranma's direction and deftly snatched Happosai from the air and  
looked him in the face. "I apologize for this old timer, but I have something to speak with the boy  
about in private." With a twist of his wrist Wein tossed Happi off into the distance then extended  
his hand towards Ranma.   
  
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma took Wein's hand and briskly shook it then looked the taller  
man from head to toe. "What do you want with me anyway?"   
  
Wein smiled and backed away a few steps. From his pocket he removed a pack of  
American cigarettes and a lighter.   
  
"I've been hearing a lot about you over the last year. Sounds like you've been a very busy  
man." Wein lit his cigarette and stuffed the pack and lighter back into his pocket. "Did you really  
defeat the seven lucky gods like rumors say?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"And what about your battle at Phoenix mountain, are rumors of that true also?"  
  
"Hai. Where is this going. I really fought all those fights and won. So get to the point will  
ya."   
  
"It looks like you are indeed the man I seek." From his coat Wein removed a small bottle  
and twisted out the cork. Before Ranma had a chance to realize what was happening, Wein had  
splashed the water in his face.  
  
"Hey, what did you do that for? Huh?" Ranma looked down at himself and gasped. "I'm a  
guy still?"  
  
"Of course..." Wein took a long drag from his cigarette and held it. "I call this  
motivation."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ranma was struggling fighting the urge to run to school as  
fast as he could and tell Akane he'd been cured.  
  
"I am here to see if you really are all they say you are. Of course that water isn't actually  
the water your looking for...it's something more along the lines of curse suppressor really." Wein  
let smoke flow from his mouth as he spoke then tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it  
with his foot. "So if you're ready, we can begin right here."   
  
"You wanna fight me?" Ranma was still so happy from being cured that he wasn't in the  
wood to fight. "I'm not gonna..."  
  
"Ranma, Ranma... is that any way for a martial artist to respond to a challenge?" Wein  
removed another bottle from his coat and held it up. "If you won't fight me then I can always give  
you back your curse. That motivation enough for you." Wein put the bottle back in his coat and  
smiled wolfishly at the stunned Ranma. "I didn't cure you for my health you know. So you can  
give me what I want, an all out fight. Or I can curse you."  
  
"Fine, but what good does this do?" Ranma quickly began to size up Wein from his stance  
and movements.   
  
"I simply must know for myself." Wein pulled back his coat and prepared for the fight.  
  
"If fighting you is the price you want for curing me, then I'll do it." Ranma tossed the bag  
of panties against the wall and assumed a ready stance.   
  
  
Rhye looked down at the two from a fire escape far above. He silver eyes burned brighter  
than they had in a long time with anger as he glared daggers through Wein.  
  
*How dare he endanger everything I've done. I won't allow him to get away with this*   
  
Wein looked up to where Rhye sat invisible to the human world and a look of sadness  
crossed his face.   
  
"How have you been my old friend. I see now why this boy has done everything he has. I  
would expect no less from one raised under your protection." Wein watched as Rhye's anger  
ebbed slightly. "Rhye...I have never been your true enemy. You talk about being here to repent  
for your sins of the Chaos War. You would not listen to me then, will you not trust me now?"  
Wein turned his eyes back to Ranma and nodded.  
  
Rhye leaned heavily against the concrete wall of the building and let out an angry growl.   
  
*Is the cure really worth this much to you?* Rhye vanished from the fire escape and stood  
behind Ranma in the alley way.   
  
  
  
Taking the initiative, Ranma made the first attack...  
  
  
Author's notes:  
Ok, if nothing is making sense so far, bear with me. I promise this all ties together in the end. I  
have a storyline written out for this thing all the way to the end and I'm doing my best to follow  
it. 


End file.
